Power Preservation in GPS-Equipped Tracking Devices

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, a method for preserving battery power in a tracking device including a communication module and a location determination unit, includes, when the tracking device is configured to operate in a first mode, enabling, by the tracking device, the communication module and the location determination unit. The method includes determining, by the tracking device, a location of the tracking device based on location information received from the location determination unit. The method includes transmitting, by the tracking device, the determined location of the tracking device via the communication module to a tracking system configured to inform a user associated with the tracking device of the determined location. The method includes in response to determining that a location status of the tracking device has changed, configuring the tracking device to operate in a second mode and disable the communication module and the location determination unit.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/833,317, filed Mar. 27, 2020, now patent Ser. No. ______, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/208,564, filed Dec. 4,2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,645,655, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 15/204,864, filed Jul. 7, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No.10,178,625, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to tracking devices, and morespecifically, to preserve power in a GPS-equipped tracking device.

Electronic tracking devices have created numerous ways for people totrack the locations of people and/or objects. For example, a user canuse GPS technology to track a device remotely or determine a location ofthe user. In another example, a user can attach a tracking device to animportant object, such as keys or a wallet, and use the features of thetracking device to more quickly locate the object, (e.g., if it becomeslost).

However, traditional tracking devices and corresponding systems sufferfrom one or more disadvantages. For instance, a battery of the trackingdevice may be difficult to recharge or replace, thus limiting thelifespan of the tracking device to the length of time the battery canpower the tracking device. Accordingly, there is a need to improveperformance in order to reduce the power requirements of the trackingdevice, thereby extending the amount of time the battery can power thetracking device, and thus extending the lifespan of the tracking deviceitself.

SUMMARY

A tracking device includes a wireless transmitter and receiver and a GPSreceiver, each of which can drain a battery of the tracking device whenenabled. Thus, to preserve power, the wireless transmitter and receiverand the GPS receiver are enabled only when the tracking device isdetermined to be lost. The tracking device can be determined to be lostif a set of lost conditions are satisfied. In some embodiments, the setof lost conditions can be a factory default set of lost conditions,while in other embodiments, the set of lost conditions are user-selectedor defined. After determining the tracking device is lost, a controllerof the tracking device enables the wireless transmitter and receiver andthe GPS receiver. The controller then determines a location of thetracking device from the GPS receiver and provides the determinedlocation to a central tracking system via the wireless transmitter. Thecentral tracking system can notify a user or owner of the trackingdevice that the tracking device is determined to be lost, and canprovide the determined location to the user. When the tracking device isdetermined to no longer be lost, the wireless receiver and transmitterand the GPS receiver are deactivated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example tracking system environment in which atracking device can operate, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example tracking system for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example user mobile device for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example community mobile device for use in atracking system environment, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example tracking device for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate an example of power preservation in atracking device equipped with a GPS receiver, according to oneembodiment.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate example processes for preserving power in atracking device equipped with a GPS receiver, according to oneembodiment.

The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention forpurposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readilyrecognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments ofthe structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed withoutdeparting from the principles of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Environment Overview

Embodiments described herein detail functionality associated with atracking device. A user can attach a tracking device to or enclose thetracking device within an object, such as a wallet, keys, a car, a bike,a pet, or any other object that the user wants to track. The user canthen use a mobile device (e.g., by way of a software applicationinstalled on the mobile device) or other device or service to track thetracking device and corresponding object. For example, the mobile devicecan perform a local search for a tracking device attached to a near-byobject. However, in situations where the user is unable to locate thetracking device using their own mobile device (e.g., if the trackingdevice is beyond a distance within which the mobile device and thetracking device can communicate), the user can leverage the capabilitiesof a community of users of a tracking device system.

In particular, a tracking system (also referred to herein as a “cloudserver” or simply “server”) can maintain user profiles associated with aplurality of users of the tracking device system. The tracking systemcan associate each user within the system with one or more trackingdevices associated the user (e.g., tracking devices that the user haspurchased and is using to track objects owned by the user). If theuser's object becomes lost or stolen, the user can send an indicationthat the tracking device is lost to the tracking system, which is incommunication with one or more mobile devices associated with thecommunity of users in communication with the system. The tracking systemcan set a flag indicating the tracking device is lost. When one of acommunity of mobile devices that are scanning for nearby trackingdevices and providing updated locations to the tracking systemidentifies a flagged tracking device, the tracking system can associatethe received location with the flagged tracking device, and relay thelocation to a user of the tracking device, thereby enabling the user tolocate the lost tracking device.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example tracking system environment in which atracking device can operate, according to one embodiment. Theenvironment of FIG. 1 includes a tracking system 100 communicativelycoupled to a mobile device 102 associated with the user 103 via a firstnetwork 108. The tracking system 100 is also communicatively coupled toa plurality of community mobile devices 104 a through 104 n(collectively referred to herein as “community mobile devices 104”)associated with a plurality of users 105 a through 105 n of the trackingsystem 100 (collectively referred to herein as “community users 105”)via the first network 108. As will be explained in more detail below,the tracking system 100 can allow the user 103 to manage and/or locate atracking device 106 associated with the user 103. In some embodiments,the tracking system 100 leverages the capabilities of community mobiledevices 104 to locate the tracking device 106 if the location of thetracking device is unknown to the user 103 and beyond the capabilitiesof mobile device 102 to track. In some configurations, the user 103 mayown and register multiple tracking devices 106. Although FIG. 1illustrates a particular arrangement of the tracking system 100, mobiledevice 102, community mobile devices 104, and tracking device 106,various additional arrangements are possible.

In some configurations, the user 103 may be part of the community ofusers 105. Further, one or more users 105 may own and register one ormore tracking devices 106. Thus, any one of the users within thecommunity of users 105 can communicate with tracking system 100 andleverage the capabilities of the community of users 105 in addition tothe user 103 to locate a tracking device 106 that has been lost.

The tracking system 100, mobile device 102, and plurality of communitymobile devices 104 may communicate using any communication platforms andtechnologies suitable for transporting data and/or communicationsignals, including known communication technologies, devices, media, andprotocols supportive of remote data communications.

In certain embodiments, the tracking system 100, mobile device 102, andcommunity mobile devices 104 may communicate via a network 108, whichmay include one or more networks, including, but not limited to,wireless networks (e.g., wireless communication networks), mobiletelephone networks (e.g., cellular telephone networks), closedcommunication networks, open communication networks, satellite networks,navigation networks, broadband networks, narrowband networks, theInternet, local area networks, and any other networks capable ofcarrying data and/or communications signals between the tracking system100, mobile device 102, and community mobile devices 104. The mobiledevice 102 and community of mobile devices 104 may also be incommunication with a tracking device 106 via a second network 110. Thesecond network 110 may be a similar or different type of network as thefirst network 108. In some embodiments, the second network 110 comprisesa wireless network with a limited communication range, such as aBluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless network. In someconfigurations, the second network 110 is a point-to-point networkincluding the tracking device 106 and one or more mobile devices thatfall within a proximity of the tracking device 106. In such embodiments,the mobile device 102 and community mobile devices 104 may only be ableto communicate with the tracking device 106 if they are within a closeproximity to the tracking device, though in other embodiments, thetracking device can use long-distance communication functionality (forinstance, a GSM transceiver) to communicate with either a mobile device102/104 or the tracking system 100 at any distance. In someconfigurations, the mobile device 102 and one or more community mobiledevices 104 may each be associated with multiple tracking devicesassociated with various users.

As mentioned above, FIG. 1 illustrates the mobile device 102 associatedwith the user 103. The mobile device 102 can be configured to performone or more functions described herein with respect to locating trackingdevices (e.g., tracking device 106). For example, the mobile device 102can receive input from the user 103 representative of information aboutthe user 103 and information about a tracking device 106. The mobiledevice 102 may then provide the received user information, trackingdevice information, and/or information about the mobile device 102 tothe tracking system 100. Accordingly, the tracking system 100 is able toassociate the mobile device 102, the user 103, and/or the trackingdevice 106 with one another. In some embodiments, the mobile device 102can communicate with the tracking device 106 and provide informationregarding the location of the tracking device to the user 103. Forexample, the mobile device 102 can detect a communication signal fromthe tracking device 106 (e.g., by way of second network 110) as well asa strength of the communication signal or other measure of proximity todetermine an approximate distance between the mobile device 102 and thetracking device 106. The mobile device 102 can then provide thisinformation to the user 103 (e.g., by way of one or more graphical userinterfaces) to assist the user 103 to locate the tracking device 106.Accordingly, the user 103 can use the mobile device 102 to track andlocate the tracking device 106 and a corresponding object associatedwith the tracking device 106. If the mobile device 102 is located beyondthe immediate range of communication with the tracking device 106 (e.g.,beyond the second network 110), the mobile device 102 can be configuredto send an indication that a tracking device 106 is lost to the trackingsystem 100, requesting assistance in finding the tracking device. Themobile device 102 can send an indication of a lost device in response toa command from the user 103. For example, once the user 103 hasdetermined that the tracking device 106 is lost, the user can provideuser input to the mobile device 102 (e.g., by way of a graphical userinterface), requesting that the mobile device 102 send an indicationthat the tracking device 106 is lost to the tracking system 100. In someexamples, the lost indication can include information identifying theuser 103 (e.g., name, username, authentication information), informationassociated with the mobile device 102 (e.g., a mobile phone number),information associated with the tracking device (e.g., a unique trackingdevice identifier), or a location of the user (e.g., a GPS location ofthe mobile device 102 at the time the request is sent).

The tracking system 100 can be configured to provide a number offeatures and services associated with the tracking and management of aplurality of tracking devices and/or users associated with the trackingdevices. For example, the tracking system 100 can manage informationand/or user profiles associated with user 103 and community users 105.In particular, the tracking system 100 can manage information associatedwith the tracking device 106 and/or other tracking devices associatedwith the user 103 and/or the community users 105.

As mentioned above, the tracking system 100 can receive an indicationthat the tracking device 106 is lost from the mobile device 102. Thetracking system 100 can then process the indication in order to help theuser 103 find the tracking device 106. For example, the tracking system100 can leverage the capabilities of the community mobile devices 104 tohelp find the tracking device 106. In particular, the tracking system100 may set a flag for a tracking device 106 to indicate that thetracking device 106 lost and monitor communications received from thecommunity mobile devices 104 indicating the location of one or moretracking devices 106 within proximity of the community mobile devices104. The tracking system 100 can determine whether a specific locationis associated with the lost tracking device 106 and provide any locationupdates associated with the tracking device 106 to the mobile device102. In one example, the tracking system may receive constant updates oftracking device 106 locations regardless of whether a tracking device106 is lost and provide a most recent updated location of the trackingdevice 106 in response to receiving an indication that the trackingdevice 106 is lost.

In some configurations, the tracking system 100 can send a locationrequest associated with the tracking device 106 to each of the communitymobile devices 104. The location request can include any instructionsand/or information necessary for the community mobile devices 106 tofind the tracking device 102. For example, the location request caninclude a unique identifier associated with the tracking device 106 thatcan be used by the community mobile devices 104 to identify the trackingdevice 106. Accordingly, if one of the community mobile devices 104detects a communication from the tracking device 106 (e.g., if thecommunity mobile device 104 is within range or moves within range of thecommunication capabilities of the tracking device 106 and receives asignal from the tracking device 106 including or associated with theunique identifier associated with the tracking device 106), thecommunity mobile device 104 can inform the tracking system 100. Usingthe information received from the community mobile devices 104, thetracking system 100 can inform the user (e.g., by way of the mobiledevice 102) of a potential location of the tracking device 106.

As shown in FIG. 1 and as mentioned above, the tracking system 100 cancommunicate with a plurality of community mobile devices 104 associatedwith corresponding community users 105. For example, an implementationmay include a first community mobile device 104 a associated with afirst community user 105 a, a second community mobile device 104 bassociated with a second community user 105 b, and additionalcommunication mobile devices associated with additional community usersup to an nth community mobile device 104 n associated with an nthcommunity user 105 n. The community mobile devices 104 may also includefunctionality that enables each community mobile device 104 to identifya tracking device 106 within a proximity of the community mobile device104. In one example, a first community mobile device 104 a withinproximity of a tracking device 106 can communicate with the trackingdevice 106, identify the tracking device 106 (e.g., using a uniqueidentifier associated with the tracking device 106), and/or detect alocation associated with the tracking device 106 (e.g., a location ofthe first mobile community device 104 a at the time of the communicationwith the tracking device 106). This information can be used to provideupdated locations and/or respond to a location request from the trackingsystem 100 regarding the tracking device 106. In some embodiments, thesteps performed by the first community mobile device 104 a can be hiddenfrom the first community user 105 a. Accordingly, the first communitymobile device 104 a can assist in locating the tracking device 106without bother and without the knowledge of the first community user 105a.

As mentioned above, the tracking system 100 can assist a user 103 inlocating a tracking device 106. The tracking device may be a chip, tile,tag, or other device for housing circuitry and that may be attached toor enclosed within an object such as a wallet, keys, purse, car, orother object that the user 103 may track. Additionally, the trackingdevice 106 may include a speaker for emitting a sound and/or atransmitter for broadcasting a beacon. In one configuration, thetracking device 106 may periodically transmit a beacon signal that maybe detected using a nearby mobile device 102 and/or community mobiledevice 104. In some configurations, the tracking device 106 broadcasts abeacon at regular intervals (e.g., one second intervals) that may bedetected from a nearby mobile device (e.g., community mobile device104). The strength of the signal emitted from the tracking device 106may be used to determine a degree of proximity to the mobile device 102or community mobile device 104 that detects the signal. For example, ahigher strength signal would indicate a close proximity between thetracking device 106 and the mobile device 102 and a lower strengthsignal would indicate a more remote proximity between the trackingdevice 106 and the mobile device 102, though in some embodiments, thetracking device 106 can intentionally vary the transmission strength ofthe beacon signal. In some cases, the strength of signal or absence of asignal may be used to indicate that a tracking device 106 is lost.

System Overview

FIG. 2 illustrates an example tracking system for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment. As shown, the trackingsystem 100 may include, but is not limited to, an association manager204, a tracking device location manager 206, a tracking device powermanager 207, and a data manager 208, each of which may be incommunication with one another using any suitable communicationtechnologies. It will be recognized that although managers 204-208 areshown to be separate in FIG. 2, any of the managers 204-208 may becombined into fewer managers, such as into a single manager, or dividedinto more managers as may serve a particular embodiment.

The association manager 204 may be configured to receive, transmit,obtain, and/or update information about a user 103 and/or informationabout one or more specific tracking devices (e.g., tracking device 106).In some configurations, the association manager 204 may associateinformation associated with a user 103 with information associated witha tracking device 106. For example, user information and trackinginformation may be obtained by way of a mobile device 102, and theassociation manager 204 may be used to link the user information andtracking information. The association between user 103 and trackingdevice 106 may be used for authentication purposes, or for storing userinformation, tracking device information, permissions, or otherinformation about a user 103 and/or tracking device 106 in a database.

The tracking system 100 also includes a tracking device location manager206. The tracking device location manager 206 may receive and process anindication that the tracking device 106 is lost from a mobile device(e.g., mobile device 102 or community mobile devices 104). For example,the tracking system 100 may receive a lost indication from a mobiledevice 102 indicating that the tracking device 106 is lost. The trackingdevice location manager 206 may set a flag on a database (e.g., trackerdatabase 212) indicating that the tracking device 106 is lost. Thetracking device location manager 206 may also query a database todetermine tracking information corresponding to the associated user 103and/or tracking device 106. The tracking system 100 may obtain trackingdevice information and provide the tracking device information or otherinformation associated with the tracking device 106 to a plurality ofcommunity mobile devices 104 to be on alert for the lost or unavailabletracking device 106.

The tracking device location manager 206 may also receive a locationfrom one or more community mobile devices 104 that detect the trackingdevice 106, for instance in response to the community mobile devicereceiving a beacon signal transmitted by the tracking device 106,without the tracking device 106 having been previously marked as lost.In such embodiments, a user corresponding to the mobile device 102 canrequest a most recent location associated with the tracking device fromthe tracking system 100, and the location manager 206 can provide thelocation received from the community mobile device for display by themobile device 102. In some embodiments, the location manager 206provides the location of the tracking device 106 received from acommunity mobile device either automatically (for instance if thetracking device 106 is marked as lost) or at the request of a user ofthe mobile device 102 (for instance, via an application on the mobiledevice 102). The location manager 206 can provide a location of atracking device 106 to a mobile device 102 via a text message, pushnotification, application notification, automated voice message, or anyother suitable form of communication.

The tracking device location manager 206 may further manage providingindications about whether a tracking device 106 is lost or no longerlost. For example, as discussed above, the tracking device locationmanager 206 may provide a location request to the community of mobiledevices 104 indicating that a tracking device 106 is lost. Additionally,upon location of the tracking device 106 by the user 103 or by one ofthe community of users 105, the tracking device location manager 206 mayprovide an indication to the user 103, community user 105, or trackingsystem 100 that the tracking device 106 has been found, thus removingany flags associated with a tracking device and/or canceling anylocation request previously provided to the community of users 105. Forexample, where a user 103 sends an indication that the tracking device106 is lost to the tracking system 100 and later finds the trackingdevice 106, the mobile device 102 may provide an indication to thetracking system 100 that the tracking device 106 has been found. Inresponse, the tracking device location manager 206 may remove a flagindicating that the tracking device 106 is lost and/or provide anupdated indication to the community of users 105 that the trackingdevice 106 has been found, thus canceling any instructions associatedwith the previously provided location request. In some configurations,the notification that the tracking device 106 has been found may beprovided automatically upon the mobile device 102 detecting the trackingdevice 106 within a proximity of the mobile device 102. Alternatively,the notification that the tracking device 106 has been found may beprovided by the user 103 via user input on the mobile device 102. Inanother example, a known user (e.g., a friend or family member) withwhom the tracking device 106 has been shared may provide an indicationthat the tracking device 106 has been found.

The tracking system 100 additionally includes a tracking device powermanager 207. The tracking device power manager 207 can store and managepower settings for a tracking device 106 provided by the user 103, forinstance via user input on the mobile device 102. The power settings mayinclude parameters related to the enabling or disabling of variouscomponents of the tracking device 106, such as a GPS receiver (or “GPSunit” hereinafter) and a wireless transmitter and receiver.

The tracking system 100 additionally includes a data manager 208. Thedata manager 208 may store and manage information associated with users,mobile devices, tracking devices, permissions, location requests, andother data that may be stored and/or maintained in a database related toperforming location services of tracking devices. As shown, the datamanager 208 may include, but is not limited to, a user database 210, atracker database 212, permissions data 214, and location request data216. It will be recognized that although databases and data within thedata manager 208 are shown to be separate in FIG. 2, any of the userdatabase 210, tracker database 212, permissions data 214, and locationrequest data 216 may be combined in a single database or manager, ordivided into more databases or managers as may serve a particularembodiment.

The data manager 208 may include the user database 210. The userdatabase 210 may be used to store data related to various users. Forexample, the user database 210 may include data about the user 103 aswell as data about each user 105 in a community of users 105. Thecommunity of users 105 may include any user that has provided userinformation to the tracking system 100 via a mobile device 102, 104 orother electronic device. The user information may be associated with oneor more respective tracking devices 106, or may be stored without anassociation to a particular tracking device. For example, a communityuser 105 may provide user information and permit performance of trackingfunctions on the community mobile device 104 without owning or beingassociated with a tracking device 106. The user database 210 may alsoinclude information about one or more mobile devices or other electronicdevices associated with a particular user.

The data manager 208 may also include a tracker database 212. Thetracker database 212 may be used to store data related to trackingdevices. For example, the tracker database 212 may include tracking datafor any tracking device 106 that has been registered with the trackingsystem 100. Tracking data may include unique tracker identifications(IDs) associated with individual tracking devices 106. Tracker IDs maybe associated with a respective user 103. Tracker IDs may also beassociated with multiple users. Additionally, the tracker database 212may include any flags or other indications associated with whether aspecific tracking device 106 has been indicated as lost and whether anyincoming communications with regard to that tracking device 106 shouldbe processed based on the presence of a flag associated with thetracking device 106.

The data manager 208 may further include permissions data 214 andlocation request data 216. Permissions data 214 may include levels ofpermissions associated with a particular user 103 and/or tracking device106. For example, permissions data 214 may include additional users thathave been indicated as sharing a tracking device 106, or who have beengiven permission to locate or receive a location of a tracking device106. Location request data 216 may include information related to alocation request or a lost indication received from the user 103 via amobile device 102.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example user mobile device for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment. As shown, the mobiledevice 102 may include, but is not limited to, a user interface manager302, a location request manager 304, a database manager 306, and atracking manager 308, each of which may be in communication with oneanother using any suitable communication technologies. It will berecognized that although managers 302-308 are shown to be separate inFIG. 3, any of the managers 302-308 may be combined into fewer managers,such as into a single manager, or divided into more managers as mayserve a particular embodiment.

As will be explained in more detail below, the mobile device 102includes the user interface manager 302. The user interface manager 302may facilitate providing the user 103 access to data on a trackingsystem 100 and/or providing data to the tracking system 100. Further,the user interface manager 302 provides a user interface by which theuser 103 may communicate with tracking system 100 and/or tracking device106 via mobile device 102. For example, the user interface manager 302can facilitate the providing of power settings to the tracking device106 for power management on the tracking device 106 by the user 103.

The mobile device 102 may also include a location request manager 304.The location request manager 304 may receive and process a request inputto the mobile device 102 to send an indication that a tracking device106 is lost to a tracking system 100. For example, the user 103 mayprovide an indication that a tracking device 106 is lost, unreachable,or otherwise unavailable from the mobile device 102 via the userinterface manager 302, and the location request manager 304 may processthe lost indication and provide any necessary data to the trackingsystem 100 for processing and relaying a location request to other users105 over a network 108. In some configurations, an indication that atracking device 106 is lost is provided via user input. Alternatively,the indication may be transmitted automatically in response to themobile device 102 determining that a tracking device 106 is lost.

In addition, the location request manager 304 can request a location ofthe tracking device 106 without the tracking device 106 being identifiedas lost. For instance, a user can access a tracking device locationfeature of an application running on the mobile device 102 (for example,via the user interface manager 302), and the location request manager304 can request a most recent location of the tracking device 106 fromthe tracking system 100. The location request manager 304 can receivethe most recent location from the tracking system 100, and can displaythe most recent location via the user interface manager 302.

The mobile device 102 may also include a database manager 306. Thedatabase manager 306 may maintain data related to the user 103, trackingdevice 106, permissions, or other data that may be used for locating atracking device 106 and/or providing a request to a tracking system 100for locating one or more tracking devices 106 associated with the user103. Further, the database manager 306 may maintain any information thatmay be accessed using any other manager on the mobile device 102.

The mobile device 102 may further include a tracking manager 308. Thetracking manager 308 may include a tracking application (e.g., asoftware application) for communicating with and locating a trackingdevice 106 associated with the user 103. For example, the trackingmanager 308 may be one configuration of a tracking application installedon the mobile device 102 that provides the functionality for locating atracking device 106 and/or requesting location of a tracking device 106using a tracking system 100 and/or a plurality of community mobiledevices 104. As shown, the tracking manager 308 may include, but is notlimited to, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) manager 310, a persistencemanager 312, a local files manager 314, a motion manager 316, a securestorage manager 318, a settings manager 320, a location manager 322, anetwork manager 324, a notification manager 326, a sound manager 328, afriends manager 330, a photo manager 332, an authentication manager 334,and a device manager 336. Thus, the tracking manager 308 may perform anyof the functions associated with managers 310-338, described inadditional detail below.

The BLE manager 310 may be used to manage communication with one or moretracking devices 106. The persistence manager 312 may be used to storelogical schema information that is relevant to the tracking manager 308.The local files manager 314 may be responsible for managing all filesthat are input or output from the mobile device 102. The motion manager316 may be responsible for all motion management required by thetracking manager 308. The secure storage manager 318 may be responsiblefor storage of secure data, including information such as passwords andprivate data that would be accessed through this sub-system. Thesettings manager 320 may be responsible for managing settings used bythe tracking manager 308. Such settings may be user controlled (e.g.,user settings) or defined by the tracking manager 308 for internal use(e.g., application settings) by a mobile device 102 and/or the trackingsystem 100. The location manager 322 may be responsible for all locationtracking done by the tracking manager 308. For example, the locationmanager 322 may manage access to the location services of the mobiledevice 102 and works in conjunction with other managers to persist data.The network manager 324 may be responsible for all Internetcommunications from the tracking manager 308. For example, the networkmanager 324 may mediate all Internet API calls for the tracking manager308. The notification manager 326 may be responsible for managing localand push notifications required by the tracking manager 308. The soundmanager 328 may be responsible for playback of audio cues by thetracking manager 308. The friends manager 330 may be responsible formanaging access to contacts and the user's social graph. The photomanager 332 may be responsible for capturing and managing photos used bythe tracking manager 308. The authentication manager 334 may beresponsible for handling the authentication (e.g., sign in or login) ofusers. The authentication manager 334 may also include registration(e.g., sign up) functionality. The authentication manager 334 furthercoordinates with other managers to achieve registration functionality.The device manager 336 may be responsible for managing the devicesdiscovered by the tracking manager 308. The device manager 336 mayfurther store and/or maintain the logic for algorithms related to devicediscovery and update.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example community mobile device for use in atracking system environment, according to one embodiment. As shown, thecommunity mobile device 104 may include, but is not limited to, a userinterface manager 402, a tracking device manager 404, a database manager406, and a tracking manager 408, each of which may be in communicationwith one another using any suitable communication technologies. The userinterface manager 402, database manager 406, and tracking manager 408illustrated in FIG. 4 may include similar features and functionality asthe user interface manager 302, database manager 306, and trackingmanager 308 described above in connection with FIG. 3. It will berecognized that although managers 402-408 are shown to be separate inFIG. 4, any of the managers 402-408 may be combined into fewer managers,such as into a single manager, or divided into more managers as mayserve a particular embodiment.

The community mobile device 104 may include a tracking device manager404. The tracking device manager 404 may facilitate scanning for nearbytracking devices 106. In some configurations, the tracking devicemanager 404 can continuously or periodically scan (e.g., once persecond) for nearby tracking devices 106. The tracking device manager 404may determine whether to provide an updated location of the nearbytracking device 106 to the tracking system 100. In some configurations,the tracking device manager 404 provides a location of a nearby trackingdevice 106 automatically. Alternatively, the tracking device manager 404may determine whether the location of the tracking device 106 has beenrecently updated, and may determine whether to provide an updatedlocation based on the last time a location of the tracking device 106has been updated (e.g., by the community mobile device 104). Forexample, where the community mobile device 104 has provided a recentupdate of the location of a tracking device 106, the tracking devicemanager 404 may decide to wait a predetermined period of time (e.g., 5minutes) before providing an updated location of the same trackingdevice 106.

In one configuration, the tracking device manager 404 may receive andprocess a location request or other information relayed to the communitymobile device 104 by the tracking system 100. For example, the trackingdevice manager 404 may receive an indication of a tracking device 106that has been indicated as lost, and provide a location of the trackingdevice 106 if it comes within proximity of the community mobile device104. In some configurations, the community mobile device 104 isconstantly scanning nearby areas to determine if there is a trackingdevice 106 within a proximity of the community mobile device 104.Therefore, where a tracking device 106 that matches information providedby the tracking system 100 (e.g., from the location request) comeswithin proximity of the community mobile device 104, the tracking devicemanager 404 may generate and transmit a response to the location requestto the tracking system 100, which may be provided to the user 103associated with the tracking device 106. Further, generating andtransmitting the response to the tracking request may be conditioned onthe status of the tracking device 106 being flagged as lost by themobile device 102 and/or the tracking system 100.

The tracking device manager 404 may additionally provide otherinformation to the tracking system 100 in response to receiving thetracking request. For example, in addition to providing a location ofthe community mobile device 104, the tracking device manager may providea signal strength associated with the location to indicate a level ofproximity to the location of the community mobile device 104 provided tothe user 103. For example, if a signal strength is high, the locationprovided to the user 103 is likely to be more accurate than a locationaccompanied by a low signal strength. This may provide additionalinformation that the user 103 may find useful in determining the preciselocation of tracking device 106.

As described above, the tracking device manager 404 may determinewhether to send a location within the proximity of the tracking device106 to the tracking system 100. The determination of whether to send alocation to the tracking system 100 may be based on a variety offactors. For example, a tracking device manager 404 may determine tosend a location of the tracking device 106 to a tracking system 100based on whether the detected tracking device 106 has been indicated aslost or if a tracking request has been provided to the community mobiledevice 104 for the particular tracking device 106. In someconfigurations, the community mobile device 104 may send an update of alocation of a tracking device 106 even if the tracking device 106 is notassociated with a current tracking request or if the tracking device 106is not indicated as lost. For example, where the location of a trackingdevice 106 has not been updated for a predetermined period of time, thecommunity mobile device 104 may provide an update of a tracking devicelocation to the tracking system 100, regardless of whether a trackingrequest has been received.

In some configurations, the community mobile device 104 may includeadditional features. For example, the community mobile device 104 mayallow a tracking system 100 to snap and download a photo using photofunctionality of the community mobile device 104. In someconfigurations, this may be an opt-in feature by which a community user105 permits a tracking system 100 to take a snap-shot and possiblyprovide a visual image of an area within a proximity of the trackingdevice 106.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example tracking device for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment. The tracking device 106of FIG. 5 includes an interface 502, a transceiver 504, a controller506, one or more sensors 508, and a GPS unit 510. The transceiver 504 isa hardware circuit capable of both transmitting and receiving signals.It should be noted that in other embodiments, the tracking device 106includes fewer, additional, or different components than thoseillustrated in FIG. 5.

The interface 502 provides a communicative interface between thetracking device 106 and one or more other devices, such as a mobiledevice 102. For instance, the interface 502 can instruct the transceiver504 to output beacon signals as described above (for example,periodically or in response to a triggering event, such as a detectedmovement of the tracking device 106). The interface 502 can, in responseto the receiving of signals by the transceiver 504 from, for instance,the mobile device 102, manage a pairing protocol to establish acommunicative connection between the tracking device 106 and the mobiledevice 102. As noted above, the transceiver 504 can include a BLEreceiver and transmitter, though in other embodiments, the transceiver504 enables communications via other suitable wireless connectionprotocols (such as WiFi, Global System for Mobile Communications or“GSM”, LTE, and the like). It should be noted that while variousexamples herein describe the transceiver 504 as a GSM receiver andtransmitter, this is done for the purposes of brevity, and it should beemphasized that the transceiver 504 can communicate over any otherwireless communication protocol according to the embodiments describedherein.

The controller 506 is a hardware chip that configures the trackingdevice 106 to perform one or more functions or to operate in one oroperating modes or states. For instance, the controller 506 canconfigure the interval at which the transceiver broadcasts beaconsignals, can authorize or prevent particular devices from pairing withthe tracking device 106 based on information received from the devicesand permissions stored at the tracking device, can increase or decreasethe transmission strength of signals broadcasted by the transceiver, canconfigure the interface to emit a ringtone or flash an LED light, canenable or disable various tracking device sensors, can enable or disablea tracking device GPS unit, can enable or disable communicativefunctionality of the tracking device 106 (such as a GSM transmitter andreceiver), can configure the tracking device into a sleep mode or awakemode, can configure the tracking device into a power preservation mode,and the like. The controller 506 can configure the tracking device toperform functions or to operate in a particular operating mode based oninformation or signals received from a device paired with or attemptingto pair with the tracking device 106, based on an operating state orconnection state of the tracking device 106, based on user-selectedsettings, based on information stored at the tracking device 106, basedon a detected location of the tracking device 106, based on historicalbehavior of the tracking device 106 (such as a previous length of timethe tracking device was configured to operate in a particular mode),based on information received from the sensors 508 or the GPS unit 510,or based on any other suitable criteria.

The controller 506 can configure the tracking device 106 to operate inone or more power preservation modes. Each power preservation mode isassociated with a set of tracking device settings. For instance, thecontroller 506 can configure the tracking device 106 to operateaccording to factory default power saving mode that includes a set oftracking device settings pre-installed on the tracking device. Likewise,the controller 506 may receive a set of tracking device settingsassociated with a user-defined power preservation mode from a user 103through the user interface manager 302 of a mobile device 102.

The sensors 508 can include motion sensors (such as gyroscopes oraccelerators), altimeters, orientation sensors, proximity sensors, lightsensors, or any other suitable sensor configured to detect anenvironment of the tracking device 106, a state of the tracking device106, a movement or location of the tracking device 106, and the like.The sensors 508 are configured to provide information detected by thesensors to the controller 506. The GPS unit 510 is configured to detecta location of the tracking device 106 based on received GPS signals, andis configured to provide detected locations to the controller 506.

Power Preservation Overview

In some embodiments, a tracking device 106 includes a transceiver 504and a GPS unit 510, which can be power intensive and can drain thebattery of the tracking device 106 if always enabled. As noted above,the tracking device 106 can include any of a number of types oftransceivers that operate and can be controlled according to theprinciples described herein, but the remainder of the description hereinwill be limited to embodiments in which the transceiver 504 is a GSMtransceiver for the purposes of simplicity. Thus, to preserve batterypower, the tracking device 106 can be configured to operate in a powersaving mode in which the GSM transceiver and GPS unit 510 are disabled,and when the tracking device 106 is identified as lost, the trackingdevice 106 can be configured to operate in lost device mode by enablingthe GSM transceiver and GPS unit.

The tracking device 106 may be identified as lost if certain lostconditions are met. These lost conditions may be factory default lostconditions or user-selected lost conditions. If the tracking device 106is configured to operate in a power saving mode and is determined to belost, the controller 506 can configure the tracking device 106 tooperate in a lost device mode by enabling the GSM transceiver and GPSunit 510 on the tracking device 106. The controller 506 then determinesan updated location for the tracking device 106 from locationinformation received via the GPS unit 510. The controller 506 canprovide the determined location to the tracking system 100 or the mobiledevice 102 via the GSM transceiver, along with an indication that thetracking device 106 is determined to be lost. The tracking system 100can notify the user 103 that the tracking device 106 is lost, and canprovide the determined location to the user (for instance via the mobiledevice 102).

The controller 506 can subsequently disable the GPS unit and the GSMtransceiver. For instance, the controller 506 can disable the GPS unitand the GSM transceiver in response to one or more of: determining thatthe tracking device 106 is no longer lost (e.g., in response to thetracking device 106 coupling to or receiving a signal from the mobiledevice 106, or otherwise determining that the mobile device 102 or user103 are within a threshold proximity distance of the tracking device106), in response to an instruction received from the tracking system100 or the mobile device 102 via the GSM transceiver, in response to thepassage of a threshold amount of time, or in response to any othersuitable condition.

In some embodiments, lost conditions can be based on a time durationparameter describing a duration of time that a tracking device 106 islocated outside a communicative transmission range of an access pointbefore it is determined to be lost (e.g., the tracking device isdetermined to be lost if the tracking device hasn't received a signalfrom a mobile device or other wireless device for a particular durationof time). Examples of access points can include the user's mobile device102, a community mobile device 105, or any other wireless deviceassociated with the tracking device 106, the user 103, or the trackingsystem 100. For example, the user 103 may set the time durationparameter for a tracking device 106 attached to a pet to 30 seconds. Insuch an example, the controller 506 determines that the tracking device106 (and thus the pet) is lost if the tracking device 106 is locatedoutside of the transmission range of the user's mobile device for morethan 30 seconds. In another example, the user 103 may set a timeduration parameter to 15 minutes if the tracking device 106 is attachedto a set of keys. The time duration parameter may be a factory defaulttime duration parameter or may be set by the user in the power settingsfor power management of the tracking device 106.

In some embodiments, lost conditions may be based on a motion thresholdparameter describing a threshold amount of motion a tracking device 106can move without receiving a communication from a mobile device or otherdevice associated with the tracking device before it is determined to belost. In some embodiments, lost conditions can be based on a time of day(e.g., if a tracking device detects large amounts of motion duringparticular or user-selected times of day that the motion isn't expected,the tracking device can be determined to be lost), based on a day of theweek, based on a last-determined location (e.g., if a tracking devicewas last determined to be located at a user's home, and the trackingdevice hasn't received a communication from the user since the user leftfor work, the tracking device may not be determined to be lost), basedon an amount of remaining battery power available to the trackingdevice, or any other suitable conditions.

When the tracking device 106 is configured to operate in a power savingmode, the tracking device can be configured based on settings inaddition to disabling the GPS unit and GSM transceiver until thetracking device is determined to be lost. For example, such additionalpower saving mode settings can include a frequency or interval that thecontroller 506 receives location information via the GPS unit, afrequency or interval that the controller enables the GPS unit, afrequency or interval that the controller communicates using the GSMtransceiver, a frequency or interval that the controller provideslocation information to the tracking system 100 via the GSM transceiver,a frequency or interval that the controller enables the GSM unit, aduration for which the GPS unit and/or the GSM transceiver are enabledwhen the controller enables the GPS unit or GSM transceiver, and thelike.

In one embodiment, after determining the tracking device 106 is lost,the controller 506 may check to see if a wifi network is availablebefore turning on the GSM transceiver and GPS unit 510. In the eventthat a wifi network is available, the controller 506 can enable a wifitransceiver of the tracking device 106 and the GPS unit, can determine alocation of the tracking device via information received via the GPSunit, and can transmit the determined location via the wifi network.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C illustrate an example of power preservation in atracking device equipped with a GPS unit, according to one embodiment.In FIG. 6A, the tracking device 601 configured to operate in a powerpreservation mode is within a transmission range 605 of the communitymobile device 104 i of community user 105 i. In this embodiment, the GPSunit of tracking device 601 is turned off In FIG. 6B, the trackingdevice 601 is outside the transmission range 605 of the mobile device104 i of community user 105 i. However, the tracking device 601 has beenoutside of this transmission range for less than 30 seconds, the timeduration parameter set in the power settings of the power preservationmode of the tracking device 601. Thus, the tracking device 601 is notdetermined to be lost and the GPS unit remains disabled. In FIG. 6C, thetracking device 601 is outside the transmission range 605 of thecommunity mobile device 104 i of community user 105 i for more than 30seconds. Thus, the tracking device 601 is determined to be lost, and thetracking device 601 is configured to operate in a lost device mode. Inthe lost device mode, the GPS unit of the tracking device is enabled,and the location of the tracking device is determined based on locationinformation received from the GPS unit. Additionally, the GSMtransceiver of the tracking device 601 is enabled, and the determinedlocation of the tracking device is transmitted to the tracking system100 or to the mobile device 102 of the owner of the tracking device.

FIG. 7A illustrates an example process for preserving power in atracking device equipped with a GPS unit, according to one embodiment.The tracking system receives 710 a location via a GSM network from thetracking device. The tracking device is configured with a GPS unit that,upon a determination that the tracking device is lost, is enabled andlocation information is received from the GPS unit and provided to thetracking system. The tracking system updates 712 a stored currentlocation of the tracking device with the received location of thetracking device. The tracking system notifies 714 the user that thetracking device may be lost and provides 714 the user with the updatedlocation of the tracking device.

In some embodiments, tracking device instructions are received 716 fromthe user. For example, the user can provide an indication that thetracking device is no longer lost. In response, the tracking system canprovide 718 configuration instructions based on the received trackingdevice instructions. For example, in response to an instruction from theuser that the tracking device is no longer lost, the tracking system caninstruct the tracking device to configure itself in a power saving mode(e.g., by disabling the GPS unit and the GSM unit of the trackingdevice). Likewise, in some embodiments, the tracking device isconfigured to enable the GPS unit, determine the location of thetracking device, enable the GSM unit, and communicate the determinedlocation periodically (e.g., every 30 seconds). In such embodiments, thetracking system can provide instructions to the tracking device torepeat the location determination and providing cycle over a longerperiod (e.g., every 60 seconds).

FIG. 7B illustrates an example process for preserving power in atracking device equipped with a GPS unit, according to one embodiment.The tracking device determines 722 that a set of lost conditions aresatisfied. An example lost condition is failing to receive acommunication from a mobile device for a predetermined amount of time.The tracking device enables 724 a GSM transceiver and a GPS unit oftracking device in response to determining that the lost conditions aresatisfied (and thus determining that the tracking device is lost). Thetracking device determines 726 the location of the tracking device viathe GPS unit. The tracking device sends 728 the location of the trackingdevice via GSM transceiver to the tracking system, which is configuredto provide the location of the tracking device to an owner of thetracking device.

In response to determining 730 that the tracking device is no longerlost, the tracking device disables 732 the GSM transceiver and the GPSunit. The determination that the tracking device is no longer lost maybe based on the tracking device receiving a communication from a mobiledevice (and thus being within the transmission range of the mobiledevice), or receiving an indication from the owner of the trackingdevice (for instance, through the tracking system) that the trackingdevice is no longer lost. For example, the user may find the trackingdevice and bring the user's mobile device within proximity of thetracking device, or the user may find the tracking device without theuser's mobile device being within proximity of the tracking device or inoperation, and the user may notify the tracking system by other meansthat the tracking device has been found. In a third example, thetracking device motion sensors may indicate that the tracking device hasnot moved since the previous time the tracking device provided itslocation to the tracking system via the GSM transceiver, and thus thetracking device disables the GSM transceiver and the GPS unit.

Additional Considerations

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has beenpresented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the abovedisclosure.

Any of the devices or systems described herein can be implemented by oneor more computing devices. A computing device can include a processor, amemory, a storage device, an I/O interface, and a communicationinterface, which may be communicatively coupled by way of communicationinfrastructure. Additional or alternative components may be used inother embodiments. In particular embodiments, a processor includeshardware for executing computer program instructions by retrieving theinstructions from an internal register, an internal cache, or othermemory or storage device, and decoding and executing them. The memorycan be used for storing data or instructions for execution by theprocessor. The memory can be any suitable storage mechanism, such asRAM, ROM, flash memory, solid state memory, and the like. The storagedevice can store data or computer instructions, and can include a harddisk drive, flash memory, an optical disc, or any other suitable storagedevice. The I/O interface allows a user to interact with the computingdevice, and can include a mouse, keypad, keyboard, touch screeninterface, and the like. The communication interface can includehardware, software, or a combination of both, and can provide one ormore interfaces for communication with other devices or entities.

Some portions of this description describe the embodiments of theinvention in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations ofoperations on information. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are commonly used by those skilled in the dataprocessing arts to convey the substance of their work effectively toothers skilled in the art. These operations, while describedfunctionally, computationally, or logically, are understood to beimplemented by computer programs or equivalent electrical circuits,microcode, or the like. Furthermore, it has also proven convenient attimes, to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules, withoutloss of generality. The described operations and their associatedmodules may be embodied in software, firmware, hardware, or anycombinations thereof.

Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein may beperformed or implemented with one or more hardware or software modules,alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, asoftware module is implemented with a computer program productcomprising a computer-readable medium containing computer program code,which can be executed by a computer processor for performing any or allof the steps, operations, or processes described.

Embodiments of the invention may also relate to an apparatus forperforming the operations herein. This apparatus may be speciallyconstructed for the required purposes, and/or it may comprise ageneral-purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfiguredby a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer programmay be stored in a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storagemedium, or any type of media suitable for storing electronicinstructions, which may be coupled to a computer system bus.Furthermore, any computing systems referred to in the specification mayinclude a single processor or may be architectures employing multipleprocessor designs for increased computing capability.

Embodiments of the invention may also relate to a product that isproduced by a computing process described herein. Such a product maycomprise information resulting from a computing process, where theinformation is stored on a non-transitory, tangible computer readablestorage medium and may include any embodiment of a computer programproduct or other data combination described herein.

Finally, the language used in the specification has been principallyselected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not havebeen selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited notby this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on anapplication based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodimentsof the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, ofthe scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for preserving battery power in atracking device comprising a communication module and a locationdetermination unit, comprising: when the tracking device is configuredto operate in a first mode: enabling, by the tracking device, thecommunication module and the location determination unit; determining,by the tracking device, a location of the tracking device based onlocation information received from the location determination unit;transmitting, by the tracking device, the determined location of thetracking device via the communication module to a tracking systemconfigured to inform a user associated with the tracking device of thedetermined location; and in response to determining that a locationstatus of the tracking device has changed, configuring the trackingdevice to operate in a second mode and disable the communication moduleand the location determination unit.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe communication module is a Global System for Mobile Communications(GSM) transceiver.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicationmodule is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) transceiver.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the location determination unit is a Global PositioningSystem (GPS) unit.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode is alost device mode and the second mode is a power preservation mode. 6.The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the location statusof the tracking device has changed comprises determining that thetracking device has been found based on receiving, by the trackingdevice, an indication that the tracking device has been found.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, wherein the indication that the tracking device hasbeen found comprises a coupling to a computing device associated withthe user associated with the tracking device.
 8. The method of claim 6,wherein the indication that the tracking device has been found comprisesa communication from a computing device associated with the userassociated with the tracking device.
 9. The method of claim 6, whereinthe indication that the tracking device has been found comprises acommunication from the tracking system indicating that the userassociated with the tracking device has found the tracking device. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is configured tooperate in the first mode in response to a set of lost conditions beingsatisfied.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of lostconditions is received by the tracking system or comprises a set offactory default lost conditions stored by the tracking device.
 12. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the tracking device further comprises amotion sensor, and wherein the set of lost conditions comprises athreshold amount of motion of the tracking device.
 13. A trackingdevice, comprising: a communication module; a location determinationunit; and a controller configured to: when the tracking device isconfigured to operate in a first mode: enable the communication moduleand the location determination unit; determine a location of thetracking device based on location information received from the locationdetermination unit; transmit the determined location of the trackingdevice via the communication module to a tracking system configured toinform a user associated with the tracking device of the determinedlocation; and in response to determining that a location status of thetracking device has changed, configure the tracking device to operate ina second mode and disable the communication module and the locationdetermination unit.
 14. The tracking device of claim 13, wherein thecommunication module is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)transceiver or a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) transceiver.
 15. The trackingdevice of claim 13, wherein the location determination unit is a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) unit.
 16. The tracking device of claim 13,wherein the first mode is a lost device mode and the second mode is apower preservation mode.
 17. One or more computer-readablenon-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable whenexecuted to perform operations comprising: enabling a communicationmodule and a location determination unit; determining a location basedon location information received from the location determination unit;transmitting the determined location via the communication module to atracking system configured to inform a user of the determined location;and in response to determining that a location status has changed,initiating operation in a new mode of operation and disabling thecommunication module and the location determination unit.
 18. Thecomputer-readable non-transitory media of claim 17, wherein thecommunication module is a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)transceiver or a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) transceiver.
 19. Thecomputer-readable non-transitory media of claim 17, wherein the locationdetermination unit is a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit.
 20. Thecomputer-readable non-transitory media of claim 17, wherein the new modeof operation is a power preservation mode.